What’s Inside?
Article — First Things
Why We Study Science, History, Math, Literature, Language, Art, Music . . .
“Why We Study” Exercises Written Out for Science, History, Math, and Literature
Poetry
First Things
Why We Study Science, Math, History, Literature, Language, Art, Music, . . .
In preparation for the new school year, teachers will review the materials they will use for the upcoming year. Generally, we do not know the educational philosophy of the people who wrote the curriculum, and more often than not, teachers and administrators make curriculum decisions based on the reputation of a certain press or the recommendation of a well-known individual, which is not necessarily wrong, but we are placing a tremendous amount of faith in these individuals and that their philosophy of Classical Christian education matches our own. When we finally determine which materials to use, we call them ‘good.’ I want to ask the question, “How do we know the materials are ‘good?’”
Just walking around living life, most of us have a general sense of what is good and we gauge the “goodness” of things we read, hear, and see according to ambiguous sentiments. We often feel confident in what we believe, even though we cannot always give an account for the reasons we claim something is ‘good’ or ‘bad.’
Have you ever been asked the question, “If you were to die today and stand before God and He asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my kingdom?’, what would you say?” Everyone who gets asked that question for the first time stumbles around at least for a little bit before attempting to answer. It is a question that is important to ask, because it reveals our deepest beliefs regarding heaven, hell, and in what or whom we are placing our trust. Likewise, what is an important question we need to ask when determining whether or not the materials and methods we use as Classical Christian teachers are ‘good?’ A good questions to ask is, “Why do we study this subject?”
Some people will answer this question asserting that we learned to study these subjects from the Ancient Greeks and then, later on, from the Medieval scholars, and centuries of people since then have decided that they are ‘good.’ That answer, while it is a reasonable and historically accurate answer, is utterly and completely inadequate when answering the question “Why do we study ______?”
We study the different subjects identified as the liberal arts by the Greeks and the Medievals because they are of God and in studying them, we seek out the Lord, we find Him, and we worship Him.
The Greeks and the Medievals did categorize the breathtaking amount of knowledge that God gave us into subjects of study and they did help us to get started with the best order for studying and how to study, and for that we are grateful, but their work is not the fundamental and most important reason that we study, history, science, literature, math, art, music . . .
One amazing thing about being a Christian is that we can find out why what we study is ‘good’ by reading God’s Word. You may doubt this last statement, because not all the names of the seven liberal arts are in the Bible. That is true. But the words used to define the seven liberal arts are found throughout the Bible, and we can use them to learn why we study the liberal arts and how we know they are ‘good.’ It will take some work on our part, but that is how God designed it. We have to seek Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and He promises that when we do seek Him, we will find Him.
“‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ says the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV
in Genesis, the Lord gave Adam and Eve a commandment to take dominion over the earth. One way we do that is by learning about the world around us. We first learn language that enables us to study the things God has made. We study their origins and order and multitude and magnificence. We study the history of man’s time on earth, but not for the goal of learning from the past so as not to repeat mistakes. How boring! We study history purposefully searching for evidence of God’s providence and the testimony He has provided for us in His faithful dealings with men. The stories we read in literature reveal the virtues and vices of human nature and we become convicted of our sin. Our study of math teaches us how the world operates in intricate detail. We study art and music so that we can imitate the beauty we experience daily, which enables us to delight in God’s abundant grace. As we study from a Biblical worldview, we recognize our need for Christ and our calling as Christians to share the love of Christ with others. As we take dominion, we gain knowledge that provides myriad opportunities to worship God as He reveals Himself through his glorious works.
Classical and Classical Christian schools have created “Why We Study” statements and researching to find out why we study the subjects is actually quite a lot of fun once you get started. The process of studying the origins and purposes of the subjects sounds arduous, but it really does not take very long. All you need is a good dictionary and Bible concordance and a desire to know why you call what you are teaching ‘good.’
Defining terms is incredibly important and the most time consuming aspect of the process. I prefer to use definitions from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary because they are thorough, more so than modern dictionaries, and they provide a deeper understanding of the word with multiple explanations along with Biblical and literary references to place the word in context. You know how you think you know what a word means, but when you look it up in the dictionary you see nuances of meaning that you never considered previously that actually help you not only understand the word better, but like it, enjoy it, and appreciate it even more? Webster’s 1828 does that in spades! If you are a teacher of a course subject, or if you are a parent curious to know why your children are learning certain subjects, if you wonder where the subjects come from and why western society has decided for the last 2500 years that studying certain ideas is important, then you will want to engage in this process of discovery. Undergoing these exercises with others will produce even more thoughtful dialogue and understanding, but even studying alone, you will develop a profound appreciation for and even delight in seeing the subjects from a heavenly perspective.
For those of you who are not research oriented, do not worry. The initial research, looking up definitions, does not take too long, but the more words you look up as you fine tune the definitions the better. Once you start delving into God’s Word and reasoning how the terms in the definitions relate to Scripture, then your thoughts will start flowing like a river as God reveals Himself to you in ways you never anticipated.
I included these “Why We Study” exercises in my newsletters last year, but I want to reintroduce them now for teachers wanting to know why they are teaching their subjects as school preparations are revving up. I used “Why We Study Science” and “Why We Study History” as the main tools for showing how the process of relating definitions to Scripture and drawing conclusions works. “Why We Study Math” is a corollary of science and “Why We Study Literature” is a corollary of history as I have organized it. I would like to hear from any newsletter readers what conclusions you draw from your own studies that are different from mine. I am even doing a deep dive into why we study the Bible with my Bible class. There’s more to it that you might know!
Once you have your “Why We Study” research completed, I encourage teachers to go through this process with your students, during the first week of school. When a fellow student who does not know why they are studying a certain subject inquires, “Why are we studying this?,” your students can reply, “We study _____, because _____.” Feel free to use an abbreviated version where you provide the definitions and even the Bible verses, but have the students read the verses from the Bible out loud and still do the reasoning aspects and write down the final conclusions. You all can enjoy the revelations that emerge, and you will be able to point back to your conclusions throughout the school year. First things take time, but they produce copious benefits.
Here is the process of thinking through “Why We Study”
1. Define the subject using Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.
2. Define words used in the dictionary definition for further understanding of the various aspects of the subject.
3. Use a good concordance to look up Bible verses that use the key term and subject-centric terms -- look for verses that do not merely contain the correct word, but that help explain the purpose for studying the subject -- what God is revealing about Himself, His character, His purposes, through the subject.
4. After writing down the verses, reason how the Bible verses relate to the words/phrases that describe the subject. Next, record your thoughts for each verse and associated term.
5. Write a general statement summarizing the specific correlations you discovered.
The exercises for Science, History, Math, and Literature are written out below with my own choices of definitions, verses, and correlative conclusions. I would appreciate learning from others the insights they found.
Why We Study Science, History, Math, and Literature
Why We Study Science
1. Define the subject using Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.
Science -- a collection of the general principles or leading truths relating to any subject; In a general sense, knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth.
2. Define words used in the dictionary definition for further understanding of the various aspects of the subject.
Principles -- In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing;
A general truth
Truth -- Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is,
or has been, or shall be; purity from falsehood
Knowledge -- A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of
truth and fact; Learning; illumination of mind
Understanding -- Comprehending; learning or being informed.
3. Use a good concordance to look up Bible verses that use the key term and subject-centric terms -- look for verses that do not merely contain the correct word, but that help explain the purpose for studying the subject -- what God is revealing about himself.
A. Verses for “principles”:
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”—Hebrews 5:12
B. Verses for “truth”:
1. “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”—1 Kings 17:24
2. “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”—Psalms 25:5
3. “O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”—Psalms 43:3
4. “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:”—Proverbs 3:3
5. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”—John 1:17
C. Verses for “knowledge”:
1. “Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?”—Job 15:2
2. “Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?”—Job 37:16
3. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”—Psalms 139:6
4. “By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.”—Proverbs 3:20
5. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”—Proverbs 9:10
D. Verses for “understanding”:
1. “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.”—Exodus 36:1
2. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”—Psalms 111:10
3. “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;”—Proverbs 2:2
4. “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”—Proverbs 2:6
4. After writing down the verses, reason through how the Bible verses relate to the words/phrases that describe the subject. Next, record your thoughts for each verse and associated term.
A. Science -- a collection of the general principles or leading truths relating to any subject; In a general sense, knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth.
1. Principles -- the principles of science are general truths of anything we can observe in nature
a. “. . . ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God . . .” Hebrews 5:12
The basic principles of science are the revelations given to us by God about the world He made.
2. Truth -- exact accordance with that which is
a. “. . . I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”—1 Kings 17:24
God uses men to speak the truth about creation. When we study past and present scientific discoveries, we can believe that God uses others to reveal truth to us about the universe, and consequently, about Himself.
b. “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”—Psalms 25:5
God leads us to know what is true about the universe and He teaches us to understand it. When we study the subject of science, we learn about creation and our Creator.
c. “O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”—Psalms 43:3
When we allow the Lord to lead us to understand the general principles or truths relating to any subject, including science, we will be led to worship the Lord, because our studies will cause us to see Him in a deeper way and praise Him. Therefore, studying science is good.
3. Knowledge -- A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of
truth and fact; Learning; illumination of mind
a. “Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?”—Job 37:16
b. “He stretcheth out the north over empty space, he hangeth the earth upon nothing.” Job 26:7
Job wrote about specific scientific phenomena in these verses and multiple others. He claimed the scientific knowledge of the Earth was based on the perfect knowledge of God. Therefore, in pursuing scientific knowledge, God, our perfect teacher, will lead us to truth and knowledge about the Earth and the universe, and consequently, Himself.
In Genesis, God commanded Adam and Eve to take dominion over the Earth. Did he merely mean physical dominion? Did He not also mean for men to gain knowledge and understanding of how the Earth works through the illumination of our minds by studying science?
4. Understanding -- Comprehending; learning or being informed.
a. “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”—Proverbs 2:6
The Lord spoke the Earth into being. He gives us wisdom, knowledge and understanding about the universe through our study of science. God tells us to seek him with all our hearts. We do that, in part, when we study science from a Biblical perspective as this verse guides us to do.
5. Write a general statement summarizing the specific correlations you discovered.
“Why do we study science?”
We study science to learn about first things in God’s creation and to understand the principles that God put in place to govern and to sustain creation. We study science in order to take dominion of the earth by gaining knowledge and understanding of how the earth and the universe function, about the seemingly infinite things he created, and in order to seek God to know Him. We study science so that we can know the truth of who God is, in order to gain understanding about what He is telling us about Himself through the revelation of creation, and to worship God as He reveals His character to us – His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, love, providence, mercy, grace . . .
Why We Study History
1. Define the term being analyzed:
– History – a narration of events in the order in which they happened, with their causes and effects
-- Narration – verbal relation of facts or events; story.
-- Description – an account of things that exist
2. Define key terms in the definition and key terms associated with the subject
Narration -- story; relation of facts or events
Account -- Narrative
Causes -- That which produces an effect; that which impels into existence, or by its agency or operation produces what did not before exist
Effects -- That which is produced by an agent or cause.
3. Find Scripture that supports the basic principles of History and relate the Scriptures to the subject.
Verses for History
– The Bible
Conclusion:
– God reveals His own history to us throughout the Bible beginning in Genesis.
– The Lord uses history throughout the Bible to reveal his providence over His people.
– The Lord uses history in the Bible to teach us to look for Him as He works providentially, to observe His character, to learn what truth, goodness, beauty, justice, love, mercy, etc. looks like in action.
– The Lord uses history to reveal the fallenness of mankind and our need for a savior.
– The Lord uses history to teach us how loyal believers of the past conducted themselves as a source of encouragement to those of us who are living.
– The Lord uses history as a warning to us and as a revelation of His grace towards us.
Verses for Narration and Account -- a relation of facts or events
– Genesis 1
– Exodus 7-12
– Luke 2
– “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”—Romans 14:12
– “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.”—1 Peter 4:5
Conclusion:
– Over 40% of the Bible, in the New and Old Testament, is written in a narrative style. God speaks to us through stories as He teaches us about what is true, good, and beautiful.
– We learn that we will all have to give an account, the story of our actions, to God.
– The narrative of Israel in the Bible is the most instructional to Christians, because in them we see as in a mirror our own human nature – the good and the bad.
– Narratives cause us to understand deeply the effects that human actions have on each other. Narratives compel us to continue the good that we are doing or to change the evil that we are doing.
Verses for Cause -- that which impels into existence, or by its agency or operation produces what did not before exist
– “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”—Exodus 9:16
– “He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.”—Isaiah 27:6
“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”—Ezekiel 36:27
Conclusion:
– God speaks to us about causes of His actions throughout the Bible
– He teaches us that right, or good, causes will result in good effects.
– Scripture teaches us that we reap what we sow.
– When we study history, one of the most important things we study are causes of all sorts of events, ideas, discoveries, etc. God teaches us through historical causes to see what good beginnings lead to and the effects of poor beginnings. These ideas are instructional to us as human beings in our lives and in our societies, because when we sew poor actions, we reap poor consequences that affect us and our families, friends, etc. As a society, when we sew poor, immoral, irrational ideas, we reap negative consequences that jeopardize our liberty and existence.
– When we study causes in the Bible, we learn how we should order ourselves in our lives, in our homes, in our churches, communities, society, so that we can serve the Lord in the most liberty possible.
Verses for Effect -- That produced by a cause
– “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.”—Psalms 33:10
– “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.”—Isaiah 32:17
– “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.”—Galatians 3:17
Conclusion:
– Jesus is a Biblical and an historical figure. Think about how profound the effect of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection has on each person who has lived and will live on the Earth.
– We learn through His story, His life(cause), passion (cause), and resurrection (effect) what is true, good, and beautiful, that we can have eternal life (effect), and that the Lord lives in us and with us through the Holy Spirit to help us serve Him (effect), because His story is recorded for us.
– Through Israel, we learn that real world causes have real world effects between us and others and between us and God. The cause of eternal death in the Bible, the sin of Adam, directly led to the death of Christ as the Passover lamb, which gave eternal life for those who trust in Christ.
– All throughout the Old Testament, God is revealing His purposes to redeem man through numerous cause and effect sequences written in narratives.
“Why do we study History?”
We study history, because God has revealed His own history to us throughout the Bible beginning in Genesis, therefore, He has revealed that history has a special purpose for all people. In the process of studying history, we learn to seek God to discover His hand of providence and the truth, goodness, and beauty to be found in the happenings of men from the beginning of time. We learn to see that causes have profound effects and that we need to order our lives accordingly to please God. We study history to learn from the saints of the past, so that we might be encouraged to follow their good example in our own lives. We seek God’s testimony of faithfulness to His people when we study history. We also learn that life is short and our lives need to be lived accordingly.
Why We Study Math
**Math is deeply rooted in the reasons we study science, so discovering the Scriptural
basis of science should occur first. See “Why We Study Science” document.
1. Define the term being analyzed from Webster’s 1828 Online Dictionary.
Mathematics — The science of quantity; the science which treats of magnitude and number, or of whatever can be measured or numbered.
Arithmetic — The science of numbers, or the art of computation.
2. Define key terms in the definition and key terms associated with the subject (also in the definition of “Science”
Science -- a collection of the general principles or leading truths relating to any subject; In a general sense, knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth.
Principles -- In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; A general truth
Truth -- Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be; purity from falsehood
Knowledge -- A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; Learning; illumination of mind
Understanding -- Comprehending; learning or being informed.
Number — The designation of a unit reference to other units
3 &4. Find Scripture that supports the basic principles of Math and relate the Scriptures to the subject and draw conclusions.
Verses for Number — The designation of a unit reference to other units
– “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” Genesis 1:26
– “Let us go down, and there confound their language . . . “ Genesis 11:7
Conclusion: God revealed counting numbers to mankind by referencing the Trinity in the first chapters of Genesis. “Let us…” — God is the first one, two, three.
Verse for Science -- a collection of the general principles or leading truths relating to any subject; In a general sense, knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth.
– Genesis 1:26. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Conclusion: God did tell men to take dominion over the Earth. Dominion is defined by Webster’s 1828 dictionary as “Power to direct, control, use and dispose of at pleasure.” Men have taken this commandment to mean that gaining knowledge and understanding of the world God has made is a part of taking dominion over it.
Verse for Principles -- In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; A general truth
– “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”—Hebrews 5:12
Verses for Truth -- Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be; purity from falsehood
– “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”—Psalms 25:5
– “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:”—Proverbs 3:3
Verses for Knowledge -- A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth
and fact; learning; illumination of mind
– “Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?”—Job 37:16
– “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”—Proverbs 9:10
Verses for Understanding -- Comprehending; learning or being informed.
– “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”—Psalms 111:10
– “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;”—Proverbs 2:2
Conclusion: Mathematics is a language that was developed to count, to number, to add, subtract, multiply and divide accurately and consistently, but also as an aid for scientific discovery. Mathematics is used to explain observable and unobservable phenomena on the earth and in the universe.
Verse for Principles -- In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; A general truth
– “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”—Psalms 25:5
Verse for Truth -- Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be; purity from falsehood
– “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”—Psalms 25:5
Conclusion: Mathematics teaches us to think logically and to reason through processes based on mathematical first principles. Studying mathematics increases our faith in God. We continue to do mathematics, because we believe we can know Truth, because we believe that God exists. In fact, Truth exists whether we believe in God or not.
"Why do we study math?"
We study mathematics to learn about first principles of God’s creation, to learn to reason logically so we can designate truth from falsehood, to take dominion over the earth by gaining knowledge and understanding about it, and to exercise faith by seeking answers that will explain what we see in the wonders of creation. When we study mathematics as Christians, we believe that God is Truth and that He will reveal Himself to us when we seek Him with all of our hearts.
Why We Study Literature
After reviewing my study of history, I realized that many of the same reasons we study literature are the same reasons we study history. I spoke with a former colleague and friend about the subject of literature and the reasons why we study literature to gain more insight, because the definition of literature in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is not very welcoming for deeper study. I do believe we can find a deeper study if we investigate the words that describe the purpose of literature. This part of the study is all conclusion.
Good literature illustrates universal truths about the human condition. Why is it important that we understand the human condition? We must learn about ourselves and our vices in order to understand our need for Christ. Literature in the Bible and literature that has been passed down to us through the Western tradition has much to say regarding human frailty and human goodness. I want to include a caveat recognizing that humans are only good because they have been influenced to be so. We are naturally selfish and quarrelsome and rarely look to do good for others without some form of divine intervention. Good literature helps us to see the truth about ourselves. Through literature, we see that by cultivating poor thoughts we make poor choices and by cultivating good thoughts we do things that are sacrificial and admirable.
Literature enables us to learn about the human condition through stories instead of only through personal experience. It provides a window into the vast experiences of people in the world. By reading literature, we can learn from the multiple experiences of others so that we can emulate honorable qualities in the characters about which we read, while attempting to avoid similar mistakes.
For example, in Silas Marner, we read about a man who got away with sin and the natural consequences that played out as a result. We might not know someone like Silas Marner in our lives, but we can also learn through this story the effects of one act of kindness that we might be encouraged to employ in our own lives.
Reading good literature encourages us to examine the broad scope of human experience in comparison to human truth. When we read the story of Ruth in the Bible we see a love story, but not one of just marriage. Ruth loves her mother-in-law and because of Naomi's influence, Ruth learns to love God. When we read about Esther, we see a woman taken by the Assyrian king to be his wife solely because of her beauty. Even though she did not have a choice in the matter, we do not read that she whined and complained about her situation because she wished to live a different life. Instead, we read about the courage a young woman had to petition the king for the lives of her Jewish brethren. We read about a woman of honor and selflessness whose beauty was not used for her purposes, but for that of God. What lessons we can learn from these women by reading their stories! By drawing insightful conclusions from their human experience, we make connections with circumstances we encounter in life. These women act as models teaching us how to live when life is unfair and does not go in the direction we expected.
Good literature also serves children to help them mature, because life is full of challenges, and they need role models in their young lives to look to for guidance. Children learn about evil and the consequences of sin through fables, fairy tales, and children’s literature. They learn what people of good character do when no one is looking or when everyone is looking, and they can learn at an early age to challenge themselves to become more mature in how they handle life’s difficulties. C.S. Lewis pointed out that children’s literature enables children to meet evil and tragedy before they experience it in real life, thus preparing them, in part, to handle life’s difficult circumstances.
We know the truism: We are known by the company we keep. Children are shaped by the friends and the adults in their lives. What kind of people do you want your children to encounter in their lives through their books?
Psalm 119:33-40
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.